“Stop Wasting Everyone’s Time”

Other employers rout out time-wasting email and meetings by training and requiring employees to use project-management applications, which typically store project files in one place online where all employees involved can see, update and comment on them as needed. This reduces the need for email or meetings.

In trying Basecamp,1 I have found that it can be difficult to get people to switch from tools they know to tools that are better that they don’t know. What often happens is teammates will be resistant and start jamming inboxes again and segments all the productive work between email and the new tool.

I often think that it’s an “old dogs can’t learn new tricks” mentality, but maybe it was my fault in assuming that they didn’t need to be trained.

Also, Back To Work recently talked about endless CC’ing, like this:

Those annoying CCs—which often trigger a tsunami of “reply all” responses—are major time-wasters. Senders should avoid use of mass-distribution lists if possible. Seagate coaches employees to omit recipients who don’t need to see an email. “There’s no need for spectators,” Ms. Motsinger says.

I don’t remember a good way to curb that behavior other than not repyling.